Stable, long-term interactions between fungi and algae or cyanobacteria, collectively known as lichens, have repeatedly evolved complex architectures with little resemblance to their component parts. Lacking any central scaffold, the shapes they assume are casts of secreted polymers that cement cells into place, determine the angle of phototropic exposure and regulate water relations. A growing body of evidence suggests that many lichen extracellular polymer matrices harbour unicellular, non-photosynthesizing organisms (UNPOs) not traditionally recognized as lichen symbionts. Understanding organismal input and uptake in this layer is key to interpreting the role UNPOs play in lichen biology. Here we review both polysaccharide composition determined from whole, pulverized lichens and UNPOs reported from lichens to date. Most reported polysaccharides are thought to be structural cell wall components. The composition of the extracellular matrix is not definitively known. Several lines of evidence suggest some polysaccharides have evaded detection in routine analysis of neutral sugars and may be involved in the extracellular matrix. UNPOs reported from lichens include diverse bacteria and yeasts for which secreted polysaccharides play important biological roles. We conclude by proposing testable hypotheses on the role that symbiont give-and-take in this layer could play in determining or modifying lichen symbiotic outcomes. © FEMS 2020.Patients with ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) lack a functional ATM kinase protein and exhibit defective repair of DNA double strand breaks (DSB) and response to oxidative stress. We show that CRISPR/Cas9-assisted gene correction combined with piggyBac transposon-mediated excision of the selection cassette enables seamless restoration of functional ATM alleles in induced pluripotent stem cells from an A-T patient carrying compound heterozygous exonic missense/frameshift mutations, and from a patient with a homozygous splicing acceptor mutation of an internal coding exon. We show that the correction of one allele restores expression of ~?50% of full-length ATM protein and ameliorates DNA damage-induced activation (auto-phosphorylation) of ATM and phosphorylation of its downstream targets KAP-1 and H2AX. Restoration of ATM function also normalises radiosensitivity, mitochondrial ROS production, and oxidative stress-induced apoptosis levels in A-T iPSC lines, demonstrating that restoration of a single ATM allele is sufficient to rescue key ATM functions. Our data further show that, despite the absence of a functional ATM kinase, homology-directed repair and seamless correction of a pathogenic ATM mutation is possible. The isogenic pairs of A-T and gene-corrected iPSCs described here constitute valuable tools for elucidating the role of ATM in ageing and A-T pathogenesis. © The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email journals.permissions@oup.com.BACKGROUND whether light-to-moderate alcohol intake is related to reduced mortality remains a subject of intense research and controversy. There are very few studies available on alcohol and reaching longevity. METHODS we investigated the relationship of alcohol drinking characteristics with the probability to reach 90&nbsp;years of age. Analyses were conducted using data from the Netherlands Cohort Study. Participants born in 1916-1917 (n&nbsp;=?7,807) completed a questionnaire in 1986 (age 68-70&nbsp;years) and were followed up for vital status until the age of 90&nbsp;years (2006-07). Multivariable Cox regression analyses with fixed follow-up time were based on 5,479 participants with complete data to calculate risk ratios (RRs) of reaching longevity (age 90&nbsp;years). RESULTS we found statistically significant positive associations between baseline alcohol intake and the probability of reaching 90&nbsp;years in both men and women. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/alw-ii-41-27.html Overall, the highest probability of reaching 90 was found in those consuming 5-? less then ?15&nbsp;g/d alcohol, with RR?=?1.36 (95% CI, 1.20-1.55) when compared with abstainers. The exposure-response relationship was significantly non-linear in women, but not in men. Wine intake was positively associated with longevity (notably in women), whereas liquor was positively associated with longevity in men and inversely in women. Binge drinking pointed towards an inverse relationship with longevity. Alcohol intake was associated with longevity in those without and with a history of selected diseases. CONCLUSIONS the highest probability of reaching 90&nbsp;years was found for those drinking 5-? less then ?15&nbsp;g alcohol/day. Although not significant, the risk estimates also indicate to avoid binge drinking. © The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Geriatrics Society.Nipah virus (NiV) is a highly pathogenic zoonotic paramyxovirus that causes fatal encephalitis and respiratory disease in humans. There is currently no approved therapeutic for human use against NiV infection. Griffithsin (GRFT) is high-mannose oligosaccharide binding lectin that has shown in vivo broad-spectrum activity against viruses including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus, human immunodeficiency virus 1, hepatitis C virus, and Japanese encephalitis virus. In this study, we evaluated the in vitro antiviral activities of GRFT and its synthetic trimeric tandemer (3mG) against NiV and other viruses from across 4 virus families. The 3mG had comparatively greater potency than GRFT against NiV due to its enhanced ability to block NiV glycoprotein-induced syncytia formation. Our initial in vivo prophylactic evaluation of an oxidation-resistant GRFT (Q-GRFT) showed significant protection against lethal NiV challenge in Syrian golden hamsters. Our results warrant further development of Q-GRFT and 3mG as potential NiV therapeutics. © The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, e-mail journals.permissions@oup.com.The increasing availability and complexity of next generation sequencing (NGS) datasets make ongoing training an essential component of conservation and population genetics research. A workshop entitled "ConGen 2018" was recently held to train researchers in conceptual and practical aspects of NGS data production and analysis for conservation and ecological applications. Sixteen instructors provided helpful lectures, discussions, and hands-on exercises regarding how to plan, produce, and analyze data for many important research questions. Lecture topics ranged from understanding probabilistic (e.g. Bayesian) genotype calling to the detection of local adaptation signatures from genomic, transcriptomic, and epigenomic data. We report on progress in addressing central questions of conservation genomics, advances in NGS data analysis, the potential for genomic tools to assess adaptive capacity, and strategies for training the next generation of conservation genomicists. © The American Genetic Association 2020.